Article 1. Establishment of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 10. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 1.

The board may establish a retirement system for the officers and employees of the district and provide for the payment of annuities, pensions, retirement allowances, disability payments, and death benefits or any of them.

The district may maintain its own retirement fund or may provide for benefits to eligible officers and employees, or their beneficiaries, by means of group insurance or other insurance, or by such means as in the opinion of the board will satisfactorily provide an adequate and sure method of meeting the payments contemplated by the retirement system.

Before establishing any retirement system the board shall secure a report from a qualified actuary, which shall show the cost of the benefits provided by the system, and the prospective assets and liabilities of the system.

The board may adopt all ordinances and resolutions and perform all acts necessary or convenient to the initiation, maintenance, and administration of the retirement system.

As an alternative method of providing a retirement system the board may contract with the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System and enter all or any portion of its employees under such system pursuant to law and under the terms and conditions of such contract, or may contract with the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System for reciprocal benefits between the Public Employees' System, or a city, or city and county, or any other public agency contracting with the Public Employees' Retirement System and the district's retirement system as authorized by Section 20042 of the Government Code, and may perform all acts necessary or convenient to provide for such reciprocal benefits.

The board may also contract with the Board of Administration of the State Employees' Retirement System for participation in the Federal Social Security Act and may perform all acts necessary or convenient for such participation.

The board may classify and determine the officers and employees who shall be included as members in the retirement system and may change the classification from time to time. Membership of all officers and employees so classified and included in the retirement system is compulsory.